Michael Colamarino Operations & Maintenance Manager

Saturday October 19th is an eventful day for the Darke County Park District and local non-profit organizations. Shawnee Prairie Preserve hosts the annual 5k Raptor run. Starting at 9am participants will be guided through thriving woods and across breathtaking prairie. Upon crossing the finish line runners will be greeted by one of our resident raptors, Spirit and Sky the Red-Tailed Hawks, Umber the Barred owl, and Pip the beloved Screech owl.

In addition to the 5K run, families can enjoy our charming pumpkin patch and take a relaxing wagon ride through the stunning fall landscape. Both the pumpkin patch and wagon rides are available to the public, donations only. This is a great way to support The Friends of The Darke County Parks while enjoying a festive atmosphere. Our pumpkin patch opens at 11am and wagon rides run until 4pm. We wanted to make sure everyone can afford to have fun Saturday October 19th at Shawnee Prairie.

Immediately following the Pumpkin Patch & Wagon Rides, pick up for The Friends of The Darke County Parks chicken dinners is at the Bish Discovery Center (at 404 North Ohio Street Greenville Ohio 45331) from 4pm-6pm.

Special Feature: October 19th starting at 9am, The Friends of Fort Jefferson will be conducting an exploratory dig using soil probes to uncover an old stream bed where Arthur St. Clair’s army is believed to have camped. This exciting archaeological effort was inspired by the discovery of a map showing the location of Arthur St. Clair’s Fort and geological features including a stream that is thought to have flowed through the campsite. Armies of this time were known to dispose of trash and other objects in camp side water ways. This gave The Friends of Fort Jefferson, DAR, The Anthony Wayne Research group, and many volunteers from Western Ohio, confidence there is much to be discovered around Fort Jefferson. They expect to find musket balls and evidence of army camps. This begs the question; What fascinating stories about our archaeological history might still be waiting to be uncovered beneath the surface, and how do these discoveries enrich our understanding of the past? Dr. Dave Cox has reason to believe this is one of the most endangered historical sites in Ohio. Dr. Cox has requested the inclusion of Fort Jefferson and surrounding lands in the 11 Most Endangered Historical Sites in America.

Speaking of endangered history, in the late 1990s, a farmer named Ted Chewning had a unique opportunity to preserve a living piece of the past. He received the last two ears of Jimmy Red Corn known to exist. With his skills and a bit of luck, Ted managed to rescue Jimmy Red Corn from the brink of extinction. This Southern heirloom corn, prized for its deep red color, is highly sought after for making grits and moonshine whiskey. I’ve tasted the grits and cornbread myself, and the excitement surrounding Jimmy Red Corn is absolutely justified—it was the best I’ve ever had.

In collaboration with The Friends of Fort Jefferson and the Darke County Park’s Bear’s Mill, we’ve successfully established Jimmy Red Corn in Darke County, Ohio. We’ve constructed a wire corn crib and cultivated over 10 acres of this non-GMO heirloom corn. This initiative aims to raise funds for The Friends of Fort Jefferson and The Darke County Park District. The corn will be stone-ground at our award-winning historic Bear’s Mill and offered to the community as grits, meal, flour, or seed corn. Stay tuned for your chance to taste the highly anticipated Jimmy Red Corn, coming soon to Bear’s Mill!

Until next time!

Conner Lee, Naturalist Educator - Specialist

When you think of autumn what is the first thing to come to mind? Maybe it’s the chill in the air as leaves start to turn into a vibrant sea of reds, yellows, and oranges. Maybe it’s a warm spiced drink outside in flannels. Maybe it's pumpkin carving for Halloween.

For me when I think of autumn my first thoughts are of all the changes that come with it, for autumn is a season of change. It’s the world holding its breath and taking a moment of peace after the busy summer, and right before the long quiet winter sets in. The leaves turning then falling to the ground to decompose into next year’s topsoil. Autumn offers up a new perspective of nature, one that no other season can, as if the sun is setting all over. The days grow shorter and colder, as the promise of winter hangs on the wind. But the cold long dark is not here just yet, this is the time of harvest, of coming together to see the fruits of the year prior.

Truly there is no better display of this than to walk in the woods on a cool autumn’s afternoon. While summer’s warmth is no longer present, bearing down on the world, winter’s chill has not set in. The canopy has opened up more as the leaves turn and fall, but the trees are not yet bare as the winter months. The birds that do not migrate are busy caching food for winter, as squirrels scurry along the limbs to do the same.

While up above there is so much bustling around, down on the forest floor there is a more quiet, slow busyness. The weather cooling, and all the new leaves falling gives the right condition for our fungi to flourish. There is no sound, there is no scurrying and clamoring to store up food for the winter, one would be forgiven to not even notice the silent encroach of mushrooms, yet they are there all the same. Living and growing to help keep the cycle of life moving.

When you have the moments to, walk out into the woods this autumn, and look not just to the leaves in the trees, but down to the forest floor. Take a moment to stand in one place and drink in the change all around, however slow it may seem, however big or small, it is there heralding the winter to come. This is what autumn is, the quiet change as the world takes a deep breath before opening the door to winter.